The Prisoner Locked Up by AMC

The Prisoner will be locked up again. The cult 1960's series, which starred and was created by Patrick McGoohan, will be remade by AMC, in what will be their first original science fiction series.

According to the press release, The Prisoner "will tell a story similar to the original series, as it follows a man who finds himself inexplicably trapped in The Village, with no memory of how he arrived. As he frantically explores his environment, he discovers that its inhabitants are identified by number instead of by name, have no memory of a prior existence or outside civilization, and are under constant surveillance by a repressive authority. Not knowing who to trust, Number Six is driven by the desperate need to discover the truth behind The Village, the reason for his being there, and most importantly, how he can survive and escape to his previous life."

AMC will co-produce the new one-hour series with UK's Granada and Sky One. Production is scheduled to begin in spring 2007, with a worldwide premiere in January 2008. Produced by Michelle Buck and Damien Timmer of UK producer Granada, the new series will be written by Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off).

Last year, there was a lot of talk that Sky One's new version of The Prisoner might star Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who / 28 Days Later). However, it's unclear if Eccleston, who will be joining Heroes soon in a recurring capacity, is still involved in the project.

There have also been numerous attempts to make The Prisoner into a feature film, with Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins in talks to helm the film this past summer. However, this new TV version is an unrelated project.